Tutankhamun Golden Coffin under Restoration for the First Time

The sarcophagus of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun is on display in his newly renovated tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt January 31, 2019. (Reuters)
The sarcophagus of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun is on display in his newly renovated tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt January 31, 2019. (Reuters)
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Tutankhamun Golden Coffin under Restoration for the First Time

The sarcophagus of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun is on display in his newly renovated tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt January 31, 2019. (Reuters)
The sarcophagus of boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun is on display in his newly renovated tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt January 31, 2019. (Reuters)

Experts have begun restoration work on the golden-plated coffin of Egypt’s boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun for the first time since the discovery of the tomb in 1922, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities said on Wednesday.

The coffin and the treasured collection of Tutankhamun’s tomb are expected to be the centerpiece of the new Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) that Egypt will open next year near the Pyramids of Giza.

British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the 18th dynasty king in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor in 1922. The tomb was untouched and included about 5,000 artifacts.

The ministry said the coffin was transported from southern Egypt to the GEM three days ago “in order to be restored for the first time since the tomb’s discovery”.

“The coffin has suffered a lot of damage, including cracks in the golden layers of plaster and a general weakness in all golden layers,” said Eissa Zidan, Head of the First Aid Restoration Department at the GEM, according to Reuters.

“The restoration work will take about eight months” he added.

Egypt has previously announced that the GEM, which has been under construction for about 15 years and is partially funded by Japan, will officially open by the end of 2020.



Humanoid Robot Says Not Aiming to 'Replace Human Artists'

A man faces the realistic artist" robot "Ai-Da" using artificial intelligence at a stand during the ITU AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File
A man faces the realistic artist" robot "Ai-Da" using artificial intelligence at a stand during the ITU AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File
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Humanoid Robot Says Not Aiming to 'Replace Human Artists'

A man faces the realistic artist" robot "Ai-Da" using artificial intelligence at a stand during the ITU AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File
A man faces the realistic artist" robot "Ai-Da" using artificial intelligence at a stand during the ITU AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva. Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP/File

When successful artist Ai-Da unveiled a new portrait of King Charles this week, the humanoid robot described what inspired the layered and complex piece, and insisted it had no plans to "replace" humans.

The ultra-realistic robot, one of the most advanced in the world, is designed to resemble a human woman with an expressive, life-like face, large hazel eyes and brown hair cut in a bob.

The arms though are unmistakably robotic, with exposed metal, and can be swapped out depending on the art form it is practicing.

Late last year, Ai-Da's portrait of English mathematician Alan Turing became the first artwork by a humanoid robot to be sold at auction, fetching over $1 million, said AFP.

But as Ai-Da unveiled its latest creation -- an oil painting entitled "Algorithm King", conceived using artificial intelligence -- the humanoid insisted the work's importance could not be measured in money.

"The value of my artwork is to serve as a catalyst for discussions that explore ethical dimensions to new technologies," the robot told AFP at Britain's diplomatic mission in Geneva, where the new portrait of King Charles will be housed.

The idea, Ai-Da insisted in a slow, deliberate cadence, was to "foster critical thinking and encourage responsible innovation for more equitable and sustainable futures".

'Unique and creative'

Speaking on the sidelines of the United Nations' AI for Good summit, Ai-Da, who has done sketches, paintings and sculptures, detailed the methods and inspiration behind the work.

"When creating my art, I use a variety of AI algorithms," the robot said.

"I start with a basic idea or concept that I want to explore, and I think about the purpose of the art. What will it say?"

The humanoid pointed out that "King Charles has used his platform to raise awareness on environmental conservation and interfaith dialog. I have aimed this portrait to celebrate" that, it said, adding: "I hope King Charles will be appreciative of my efforts."

Aidan Meller, a specialist in modern and contemporary art, led the team that created Ai-Da in 2019 with artificial intelligence specialists at the universities of Oxford and Birmingham.

He told AFP that he had conceived the humanoid robot -- named after the world's first computer programmer Ada Lovelace -- as an ethical arts project, and not "to replace the painters".

Ai-Da agreed.

There is "no doubt that AI is changing our world, (including) the art world and forms of human creative expression", the robot acknowledged.

But "I do not believe AI or my artwork will replace human artists."

Instead, Ai-Da said, the aim was "to inspire viewers to think about how we use AI positively, while remaining conscious of its risks and limitations".

Asked if a painting made by a machine could really be considered art, the robot insisted: "My artwork is unique and creative."

"Whether humans decide it is art is an important and interesting point of conversation."